Posts tagged ‘political engagement’

By Jaron Castranio, Senior Political Science major, California University of Pennsylvania

Alan Abramowitz, one of the country’s leading elections forecasters, recently returned to California University of Pennsylvania to discuss “Will the Democrats Catch a Wave? The Outlook for the 2018 Midterm Elections.” His presentation focused on whether Democrats would be able to regain control of the House.

Abramowitz pointed to election surges and declines, reminding everyone that it is not unusual for the president’s party to lose seats in midterm elections. His predictions for the upcoming election were based on the premise that there are more seats for Republicans to lose than there are for Democrats; however, he mentioned that the number of turnovers also depends on the president’s approval rating. Trump’s low numbers may cause a greater than usual shift in power. According to Abramowitz, there is better than a 50 percent chance that Democrats will win back the House.

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On January 30, TurboVote teamed up with AASCU’s American Democracy Project (ADP) and The Democracy Commitment (TDC) for a rich, conversation-style webinar with civic engagement professionals across the country. We invited all campuses which are both TurboVote partners and members of ADP or TDC and tried something a bit new for the format. We threw away our pre-set slide decks and brought participants into a virtual “room” together using a video conferencing platform (think: Brady Bunch-style squares on a screen!).

Apart from some prepared questions, we left it up to our experienced partners from across the country to share best practices and workshop challenges with each other in preparation for the 2018 midterm elections.

Read on for some of our favorite tidbits from the conversation…

What’s one thing you wish you knew when you started?For our icebreaker, we asked the group about the biggest thing they wish they had known when they started doing campus voter engagement work. Since the room was a mix of newcomers and seasoned pros, everyone had something useful to share.

Have realistic expectations.This is tough work! Instead of thinking you’ll get every student registered to vote, look at national numbers and averages to determine what success means for you. – Justin Wellner, California Polytechnic State University

Widespread campuses + multiple counties = a complex voter registration situationWith a college or university spanning multiple counties and many towns, there won’t be a one-size-fits-all student voter situation. Be prepared for keeping track of many election authorities and dozens of polling locations.
– Mary Frances Archey, Community College of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

A great strategy can set you up for success.Forethought and planning are the keys to making voter engagement on campus a year-round pursuit, not just an election-time thought.
– Abe Goldberg, James Madison University

How do you get more students engaged in this work on campus?While our partners are all deeply committed to getting more students to vote on campus, having the students as collaborators and co-leaders of the work is of the utmost importance, as well. So…how does that happen, and what are some ideas for how to do it better?

Incentivize participation.Giving students credit for voter registration work by reflecting the effort on their student engagement transcript is a great way to further entice students to become engaged.
– Mary Frances Archey, Community College of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Ally with student government.If there’s not a group dedicated to voting work on campus, reach out to the one organization which students vote for each year—student government! Their members can be great collaborators to show students the effect of a vote; making the connection that low voter turnout for student government elections and national low turnout can highlight how participation matters for students.
– Mariel Pagán, Montclair State University

Nonpartisan student organizations can institutionalize efforts.Encouraging the initiation and growth of student groups focused on getting out the vote, as opposed to partisan-aligned organizations, can give students a home for their efforts, year after year. Dukes Votes at JMU is a great example of this type of effort.
– Jen Domagal-Goldman, ADP

What are innovative strategies to get students to the polls?Getting an entire campus to vote on Election Day may seem daunting, but with these ideas, a campus can make it easy and fun.

Meet students where they are…on Instagram and Snapchat!Social media is ubiquitous in students’ lives these days, so why not lean into it to get out the vote? Placing a filter on Instagram and Snapchat on Election Day gives students a reminder to head to the polls and a way to post about it so their friends see, too.
– Carly Schmitt, Indiana State University

Give students an online place to talk about the election.At a school with multiple campuses, virtual spaces can often be the best place to convene students. CCAC, a community college with four campuses and four centers, created a Facebook group as the schoolwide Democracy Board where students can start discussions about national issues and post alerts about upcoming elections.
– Mary Frances Archey, Community College of Allegheny County, Pennsylvania

Turn Election Day into a celebration.Voting is fun! Show students it is by hosting an event like a Party at the Polls or giving out unique stickers. For example, you can create first-time voter or campus-specific stickers, like “I’m a [insert mascot]. I voted.”
– Jen Domagal-Goldman, ADP

Photo credit: James Madison University

Great ideas from a great group of partners! Thank you to all of our ADP/TDC/TurboVote participants—calling in from Illinois, Virginia, Michigan, New Jersey, and California—who dove into the discussion with examples from their own work and left with a full plate of ideas from their peers around the country.

If you’re interested in learning more about how TurboVote can support voter engagement on your campus, we’d love to chat! Drop us a note at partnerships@turbovote.org.

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The Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE) at Tufts University was featured in an article in the front section of the Sunday New York Times, “How College Campuses Are Trying to Tap Students’ Voting Power.” The article highlights their groundbreaking research and work on campuses, along with the work of many of their partner organizations, campuses, and educators. It reflects a growing realization in higher education that for too long, political learning and engagement has been episodic and relegated to a small subset of programs and students. NSLVE is a wake-up call. We hope that campuses will share this article, use their reports, assess their campus climates for political learning and engagement, treat elections as teachable moments, and work to cultivate a positive climate for political learning, discourse, equity, and participation – Politics 365!

AASCU and 12 of its member institutions will partner with the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE) at Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life to improve student political learning and participation in democracy.

(WASHINGTON, D.C.)—Today, the American Democracy Project (ADP), a program of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), announced a new two-year initiative, Assessing and Improving Political Learning and Engagement on Campus. Building on the long-standing programmatic commitment of ADP to preparing informed and politically engaged citizens for our democracy, this initiative aims to improve nonpartisan student political learning and participation.

ADP will partner with the Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE) at Tufts University’s Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life on this research-to-practice initiative. Over the course of two years, 12 AASCU campuses will test tools with which to assess campus climates for political learning and engagement. Together, campus teams working with researchers from IDHE will pilot processes for engaging campus communities in measuring, understanding and improving campus climates in order to ensure that all students are prepared to be informed, engaged citizens.

Amanda Antico, executive director of AASCU’s American Democracy Project, notes, “Too few young Americans participate in even the most fundamental forms of civic engagement, such as voting. Unequal participation results in unequal representation. These conditions obstruct our ability as a nation to address and resolve complex social and political problems, which is why this initiative is important and necessary. ADP hopes to educate, inspire and prepare college students for a life of active civic engagement in order to cultivate a more vibrant democracy.”

Twelve AASCU member institutions have been chosen to participate in this initiative: Central State University (Ohio); Fayetteville State University (N.C.); Ferris State University (Mich.); Illinois State University (Ill.); Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (Ind.); James Madison University (Va.); Keene State College (N.H.); Sam Houston State University (Texas); San Francisco State University (Calif.); Stockton University (N.J.); University of Nebraska Omaha (Neb.); and Weber State University (Utah).

According to IDHE Director Nancy Thomas, “Colleges and universities play a critical role in ensuring the health and future of our democracy, and AASCU campuses are on the front line of that work. The Institute for Democracy & Higher Education at Tufts University’s Tisch College of Civic Life is proud to be working with AASCU’s American Democracy Project. This critical partnership has implications not just for the participating campuses, but for all colleges and universities.”

Together, ADP, IDHE and the 12 participating campuses will develop a reliable and replicable approach to assessing and changing campus climates for political learning and engagement, as well as a set of interventions for other campuses to use. The campuses will serve as a set of model institutions from which others can learn about how to cultivate campus climates that best prepare students with the necessary knowledge, skills and commitment to political learning and participation.

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The American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU) is a Washington, D.C.-based higher education association of more than 400 public colleges, universities, and systems whose members share a learning- and teaching-centered, a historic commitment to underserved student populations, and a dedication to research and creativity that advances their regions’ economic progress and cultural development. These are institutions Delivering America’s Promise of Opportunities for All.

The Institute for Democracy & Higher Education (IDHE), part of the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life at Tufts University, serves as a leading venue for research, resources, and advocacy on college student political learning and engagement in democracy. Through research, resource development, and convenings, the Institute strives to inform and shift college and university priorities, practices, and culture to strengthen democracy and advance social and political equity. The only university-wide college of its kind, the Jonathan M. Tisch College of Civic Life offers transformational student learning and service opportunities, conducts groundbreaking research on young people’s civic and political participation, and forges innovative community partnerships.

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College and university students face several obstacles to voting that make them less likely to go to the polls, even if they are registered to vote. The most common complaint from students is that even though they want to vote, they do not have access to transportation and cannot easily get to their polling station. Establishing a polling place on campus for early voting and/or Election Day not only makes casting a ballot more convenient, it can lead to higher student voting rates.

Join the ALL IN Campus Democracy Challenge for December’s webinar to hear from experts from the Fair Election Legal Network’s Campus Vote Project. Presenters will walk you through the steps of bringing a polling location to campus and how to ensure your polling station is a success.Speakers

The American Democracy Project (ADP) is a multi-campus initiative focused on public higher education’s role in preparing the next generation of informed, engaged citizens for our democracy. The project began in 2003 as an initiative of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities (AASCU), in partnership with The New York Times.

The goal of the American Democracy Project is to produce graduates who are committed to being knowledgeable, involved citizens in their communities. Since its inception, ADP has hosted 13 national and 18 regional meetings, a national assessment project, and hundreds of campus initiatives including voter education and registration, curriculum revision projects, campus audits, special days of action and reflection, speaker series and many recognition and award programs.